What's going on here?

[Casey]

So I'm considering buying a 6.9 for sale.  It's an early greymarket euro import - no sunroof, manual climate controls.  Not terribly excited about the lack of a sunroof.  Not terribly excited that the current paint color isn't original but I like both the original and current paint colors (green and ivory).  I figure I'd keep it as it is for a while and eventually get the paint stripped and return it to the original color.

Trying to figure out what's going on with the interior.  I don't have many pictures to go on yet, but this one shows that the rear seatback does not have a flat portion as I'd expect 6.9's to have, nor does it have six pleats.  I would guess it to be velour given that there are fewer wider pleats, but the seller says that the seats are vinyl.  Can anybody tell me what's going on from this picture?

[Casey]

Also how can I have a friend who's checking out the car for me tell whether or not it's *actually* a euro model engine/etc.?  Because it's advertised as a 1976 (which would definitely be euro), but according to the state it's in, is registered as a 1977.  Can somebody A> give me the earliest 1977 VIN #, and B> any things in the engine bay or wherever to look for that indicate that it's actually euro-spec?

[jbrasile]

Casey,

First thing I would make sure is that the car is indeed a 6.9, VIN # on the firewall should start with 116036.

As for the interior, 6.9's only came with leather or velour, no price difference for either or, MB-Tex was never offered. Velour seats followed they same pattern on top of the rear seat, straight with no pleats. I am not 100% sure here with regards to earlier cars, though. From the picture, I'd say the car had velour upholstery and maybe was converted to MB-Tex using the same pattern.

Being registered in California, if the car is an Euro, it must have a door sticker from the California Air Resources Board indicating the name of the original importer and who did the certification, this is not the usual black sticker from MB, they are usually square and silver.

One thing that is a giveaway if the car is an Euro is the suspension adjustment lever, it  will pull to its first stop for "locked" and at the second stop the car will rise, US cars had the rise function blocked at the factory due to headlight height concerns so the lever will not pull back any further than its first detent,  I don't think any mod was mandatory regarding this to get the DOT release.

Under the hood a California gray market import 6.9 will have to have a smog pump, EGR and things will probably look less "neat" than an original US car.

My client's 77 car is s/n 2456, I am not sure about the month of manufacture but if the one you are looking at is a 76 definitely expect a much lower VIN.

Hope info helps.

Tks,

Joe

[jmperkins]

Another way to tell if it is a EURO...if you are standing in front of the engine compartment looking in, you will see an oil cooler (about 4 inches wide?) mounted to the top right of the radiator.

Regardless of where you are as I am in California and have a Euro; a Euro will not have the EGR Valve that sticks out of the driver's side exhaust manifold nor will it have a smog pump.

[Casey]

CA DMV did confirm the VIN starts with 116036 though they can only confirm, not tell the rest. Hoping the seller provides that soon but he's not the most straightforward. An older gent who repeated everything he told me on the phone about six times.

[jbrasile]

jmperkins,

Wasn't a smog pump required to certify the car in CA? I thought even for gray market imports you must have the pump installed or it will not pass emissions.

Tks,

Joe

[Casey]

Here's a shot of the engine bay if this helps:

[jbrasile]

Hard to tell, but I can see it is an early car because the WUR is mounted on its side instead of facing up. Tried to look up in the EPC to check the cut off date for the bracket that holds the WUR but it doesn't list anything.

Tks,

JOe

[Casey]

Hard to tell, but I can see it is an early car because the WUR is mounted on its side instead of facing up. Tried to look up in the EPC to check the cut off date for the bracket that holds the WUR but it doesn't list anything.

What is a WUR?

EDIT:  Nevermind, warm-up-regulator.  No idea where that is on a 6.9 or that picture though.

[Casey]

I just got a VIN # from the seller, it's quite low at #765.

Per the production numbers, that seems to surely be a 1976, meaning it's not a US model.

[jmperkins]

Casey,
The picture does show the oil cooler that I mentioned that is only present on a Euro.

Joe-NO, no, CA would have passed my Euro without smog equipment had it been running clean enough. It wasn't/isn't because it is getting a new timing chain (stretched too much).

[jbrasile]

Casey, yes, definitely a very early car, probably from the beginning of 76, it probably won't have console wood either. The warm-up regulator is right in front of the air cleaner, passenger side.

jmperkins, that's interesting.... as far as I knew CA will NOT pass a car unless it has all emissions equipment installed, it does not matter if the actual tail pipe measurements are within limits for that year. In  fact last year I had a chat with a person from CARB with regards to taking my 78 450SEL  Euro car  to California and he was pretty emphatic on what needed to be present. At any rate, it is possible that your particular 6.9 was entered in the system in such a way that a visual inspection is not mandatory, but I had never heard of that.

Tks,

Joe

[WGB]

TJ450 has a similar early 6.9 and he may have more information about seats and consoles (his console is definitely black vinyl).

The oil cooler demonstrates that it is Euro and should have the high compression motor although this may not be obvious in performance terms if the timing chain is stretched.

Bill

[ZCarFan]

So the local one was too close now you need another cross-country trip to pick up a car?

Which green was it originally?

[Casey]

So the local one was too close now you need another cross-country trip to pick up a car?

Which local one?  The junky one that sold for under a grand on ebay when I didn't have any funds available a few months ago?  I would have liked to have bought that for parts, timing was just bad.  This one seems much nicer, being rust-free like my most recent 450SEL purchase.  It's also many times the price but more reasonable than many 6.9's mainly on account of the non-original color and general issues that happen when a car sits unused for a couple years.  The same owner also has an anthracite grey US-spec '79 6.9 for sale if anybody's interested, asking $7500.

Which green was it originally?

Good question, but I won't know until my friend in the area is able to go check the car out next weekend.  It's described as a "darker olive green" and you can see it in the engine bay shot above, particularly behind the headlight where it's not too dirty.  Care to guess on the code?